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The tea capital of the country.
Bao Loc is famous for its B'Lao tea brand. The tea industry here began in the 1930s. According to Lam Dong Statistics, Bao Loc currently has 7,000-7,200 hectares of tea plantations, producing approximately 65,000 tons of fresh tea leaves annually. There are over 160 tea processing and production facilities in Bao Loc. Many valuable tea varieties such as Kim Tuyen, Tu Quy, and Bat Tien are being cultivated by tea businesses in Bao Loc, gradually replacing traditional varieties. These are advantages that Bao Loc can leverage to develop tea tourism.
Based on his observations, Mr. Nguyen Tien Dung, a resident of Ward 2, Bao Loc, shared: "In reality, the tea tourism model (visiting tea hills, experiencing the tea production process, tea workshops, tea tasting, shopping for tea products...) has been exploited by several tea establishments in Bao Loc: Tam Chau, Phuoc Lac, Thien Thanh, Tri Viet, Phuong Nam, Thien Huong, Phu Sy...
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With large tea plantations, well-developed infrastructure, export-standard tea factories, spacious tea product showrooms, and professional tea-tasting spaces, the aforementioned tea establishments have achieved considerable success in organizing tea tourism. However, as tourism trends shift towards greater individual initiative and optimized experiences, the Bao Loc tea industry must also adapt to meet the demand for "hands-on experience of the tea industry, from harvesting tea leaves to roasting, drying, brewing, and tasting," instead of observing from afar and listening to one-sided explanations in the traditional style.
Dr. Nguyen Phuoc Hien from Nguyen Tat Thanh University believes that, when shifting to a more immersive experiential model, what Bao Loc is still lacking is "sufficiently profound and substantial stories about tea culture." Furthermore, the connection between tea production facilities and travel agencies remains quite weak. Another weakness is the limited foreign language skills of tour guides when communicating with international tourists...
Mr. Trinh Ba Hao, the owner of a tea shop in Hanoi, added: Integrating the cultural and historical values of the B'Lao tea industry is a "boost" to create diverse experiences for tourists, alongside digitizing tea tourism destinations in Bao Loc to facilitate tourist access. Tourists need to deeply understand the culture of B'Lao tea, along with the stories of the tea-making profession there. The differences between B'Lao tea and other tea-growing regions in Vietnam and the world need to be highlighted to increase the persuasiveness for tourists when they come to Bao Loc to experience tea tourism.
With its advantageous landscape and climate, coupled with a nearly 100-year history of tea industry development, and especially the B'Lao Tea brand which has been established in many international markets such as Europe and West Asia, Bao Loc possesses enormous potential for developing tea tourism. Developing tea tourism in a way that enhances multi-faceted experiences is a promising direction, not only promoting the B'Lao Tea brand but also contributing to the enhancement of the tea industry value chain in Bao Loc – the capital of Vietnam's tea industry.